will the town hall format of the next debate give barack obama a chance to show greater empathy. and will mitt romney be just as good when people ask the questions? hi, i'm chris matthews. welcome to the show. with us today, abc's sam donaldson, nbc's andrea mitchell, msnbc s.e. cupp and joe klein. the new jobs report gives the obama campaign a much-needed assist after the debacle wednesday night in denver. the debate's closing statements told the tale. the president was down and mitt romney was up. >> you know, four years ago we were going through a major crisis, and yet my faith and confidence in the american future is undiminished. >> it's an important election and i'm concerned about america. i'm concerned about the direction america has been taking over the last four years. what kind of america do you want to have for yourself and your children? chris: and the impact wednesday night can be seen at least four ways. first the media consensus, from the left, center and right. the media called the president's performance a failure and say mitt romney may get a second look now. s